On Wednesday, November 30, our state bargaining team met with the State at the State Office Building at 301 W Preston St in Baltimore.
Our team pressed the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) repeatedly around our proposals to improve things like training pay, the minimum wage, holiday pay, seniority steps, shift differentials, accreditation pay, bilingual pay, tuition reimbursement and more.
We also proposed additional leave for state employees in light of ongoing mandates to not come to work due to COVID-19.
We reminded the State that we are still owed a rebasing study on the pay scale as well as their proposal for annual salary reviews (ASRs).
Across the board, the State refused to discuss our wage increase proposals. We are still waiting for a formal response, but the Hogan administration’s actions seem to show that they are not interested in helping retain state workers at this time. With rising costs of living coupled with a state budget surplus, the State’s proposal is unacceptable.
It is moments like this where the power of our union and the strength and perspective that each AFSCME member brings are incredibly important.
These two comments from our petition summarize the consequences that low pay has had on all of us and our ability to do our jobs and serve our communities.
The turnover rate in our office is extremely high. Our office has not had a front desk person in over a year and there is no urgency to fill the vacancy. Therefore, all employees in the office have to forego their current work to handle these reception duties. The workload continues to increase. The pay is low and forcing many employees to work a second job or resign completely for higher wages. In order to retain good employees, the State needs to pay a livable wage to employees. Many employees in Social Services are barely meeting their own bills and expenses while trying to assist residents in their local communities.
We deserve competitive wages for the work we do. We are frontline workers, and we are often overlooked for the danger we put ourselves in daily serving our community. Give us the raises we missed from past years and pay us what we are worth!
Please encourage all of your coworkers to sign as well. We need as many signatures as possible to let the State know that we are UNITED for the pay increases we deserve.
Our next two bargaining sessions are on Thursday, December 15 at the AFSCME Maryland Council 3 Baltimore office and on Tuesday, December 20 with location TBD.
Please stay tuned for more opportunities to take action.
If you are not an AFSCME member, you can become part of our movement here.
NOTE: Access to bargaining is information is limited to bargaining unit employees (units A, B, C, D, F, and H). Be aware that details of proposals, counterproposals, and related discussions in closed collective bargaining sessions are private and confidential communications protected from unilateral public disclosure during collective bargaining negotiations under SPP § 3-501(e). Such details should not be made public while collective bargaining negotiations are taking place. The above materials in this post include details and therefore should not be circulated to the public or publicly.